No Man-Istan

After reading this story on Yahoo: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081012/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_tribes_fight_back;_ylt=Ahi7FRs2L9NymQjT0hkVIrZn.3QA

I’m again holding out for some faith in the Pakistani government, as naive as that is of me.

Enough of that, though. The year is almost over, there will be a new U.S. president very soon, and we can all hope to turn the page…

For the last week and a half I’m been incapacitated by a nasty bout of conjectivitus, restricting my ability to work, read, and write (including, obviously, any new posts). Now that it appears to be, thankfully, clearing up, I’m been able to read again.

I picked up an old issue of Dawn newspaper (Sunday, September 28th) lying around my place today and read a good article about Richard Wright, one of the founding members of the legendary Pink Floyd, who passed away in early September. The article was spot on by comparing him to George Harrison of the Beatles; indeed, his playing and creative contributions to the Floyd were underrated. He was a quiet musician who was never flashy and didn’t take the spotlight, but he was so integral to the Floyd sound that without his keyboards they wouldn’t be the same. He will be missed.

But that really has nothing to do with Pakistan (the whole point of this blog) now does it. The reason I’m bringing this up is because in the same issue of Dawn had a review of a play called “Vakeel Sahib” put on by the Karachi Arts Council. I suppose this bears mentioning because many outsiders probably don’t even realize that there is modern culture here, and that Pakistan is not filled with 100% craziness. Despite all of of the events this country has experienced in the last two years since I’ve lived here, I’ve still managed to see good art work in galleries, good theater, and hear good music. As they say in show business – “the show must go on.”

I’ll say more about the Arts Council in another post….

Finally, there is solid evidence from a country besides America that there really is a link between the ISI, the Taliban, and the increase in terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081001/ap_on_re_eu/eu_spain_pakistan_taliban

I wouldn’t be surprised if the major rebuttal here would be something like “the entire Western media is dominated by evil Zionist Jews bent on world domination, and focused on targeting Muslims.” It’s a circular logic that can’t be falsified, as every explanation can be traced back to that conspiracy.

Speaking of which, I have noticed something odd about books in Karachi. Many open-markets and local book stores, called “book wallas” (literally “he has books”) carry Hitler’s Mein Kampf. This is true whether it’s big or small, a normal bookstore or one saturated with Islamic literature.

Once, when visiting someone’s apartment, I also noticed that he had the same tome. I asked why he had it, and he said he was just curious about the mind of a madman, not that he agreed with his views in any way. That’s valid; I myself have read books on Hitler for historical reasons.

But the thing is, if that were the case with these book sellers, then you would expect to find other books that the majority of Pakistanis would find objectionable. Yet I haven’t, with the exception of Liberty Books, where you might find stuff by Alan Dershowitz (pro-Israel/American foreign policy), books on atheism, and even some criticism of Islam. But the aforementioned bookstores carry typical, uncontroversial selections. And I’m sure that the book sellers would ban books they really found offensive. So that only conclusion I can come to is the most disturbing one – many book buyers/sellers really agree with Hitler’s views.

Another disturbing book I frequently see is one called “The Wisdom of Jihad.” Before perusing it, I figured that it probably had an expanded notion of jihad, which in Islamic conception encompasses a lot more than just physical warfare. However, this book is really just about war in Islam.

First, the author divides the world into Muslims versus non-Muslims. War is allowed against Muslims who are considered traitors, what the Qur’an calls “munafiq” (hypocrites) who only pretend to be Muslims. It is also a duty of Muslims to defend against non-Muslim aggression, though what he considers “defense” and “aggression” is quite different than international law, or how most governments use those terms.

To him, non-Muslims are OK if they have a holy book acceptable to Islam, and peacefully accept the absolute right of Muslims to rule them, or pay the poll tax (jizya) levied on subjects exempt from the required Islamic charity (zikaat). If non-Muslims don’t allow Muslims to rule them, even if their lands have been conquered, then they are “hostile” to Muslims. So in theory, even a group in some isolated hinterland, who just want to be left alone, are potentially “hostile” if they are non-Muslims and freely practice a religion besides Islam.

If this is what passes for “wisdom,” then I don’t even want to know what a lack of wisdom would be.

OK, I’m making another angry post. I know I should try to be more fair and open-minded, but I just can’t help it.

It’s not just a stereotype any more. Apparently most Pakistanis really do despise America. And opinion is turning against Americans in general, not just certain figures in the government.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20081001/wl_csm/opakviews;_ylt=AntKMNqfr5NdXWZf071OK7X9xg8F

www.examiner.com/a1451329~Poll_finds_Pakistanis_favor_talks_with_militants.html

I’ve noticed that many Pakistanis act though Americans are not just human beings. Americans are either considered magical angels, or demonic djinn disguised in suits, military uniforms, or trendy clothes. White skin is considered amazing, and American accents are increasingly praised (it used to be British accents were the mark of sophistication). But for many, anything “American” appears as a threat. This all feeds the cause of phony American exceptionalism.

It cuts two ways. One is a sort of manifest destiny ideology. America can’t really do wrong in the world because it is destined, by God’s will, to some higher destiny to lead everyone to salvation.

Obviously America’s strength and power has to do with a combination of historical contingencies, cross-cultural pollination, political-economic developments, bold social experimentation, and plenty of nasty realities true of any imperial power. Like any world power, it’s a mixed bag. There’s a lot to be proud of, and a lot to be ashamed of (and I truly believe most Americans are honest and will admit that what is wrong is wrong).

The second flawed idea of exceptionalism is the notion, propagated by some on the radical Left, and used to good effect by Islamic imperialists, that America is exceptionally bad. But the arguments about how uniquely awful America is whither away with a dash of objectivity and historical reflection.

Pakistan’s view of America which, historically speaking, is rather short in the greater scheme of things, is shaped both by that relationship, and Pakistan’s history as a colonized Muslim land under the British Empire. America and Pakistan seem to have little in common except that they were both once part of that empire, and both are, in theory, republics. Now that America has replaced Britain as the major world power, the one Pakistan depends on most (China not withstanding) the projection has shifted. There is either indulgent fawning, or anger and contempt. Whereas many Americans (though not all) might want to see Pakistan, despite its weaker status, as not only a partner but an equal, Pakistani culture is hierarchical and locates relationships in terms of superiors and inferiors. Only in a few social situations – older Muslim men (of the same sect) together at some function like a wedding or religious event – is there any sense of real equality.

I know I’ve written about this before, and I do understand it cognitively, yet I’m still frustrated by the fact that the Taliban/Al Qaeda can attack Pakistani civilians, and still earn sympathy. Their strategy is working! Many Pakistanis blame the instability caused in neighboring Afghanistan on the U.S. military presence, or the increased dips into Pakistani territory. Some Pakistanis even think all these terrorist attacks are actually being secretly done by Americans themselves.

But there are strange contradictions. First, many of these militants, or their descendents, benefited from U.S. support against the Soviets and then turned on America. Of course, if you view unbelievers as morally/spiritually inferior to begin with, then you owe them no gratitude or loyalty. But Pakistani critics of U.S. foreign policy blame America for supporting radicals and giving them power in the first place (along with the military regime in Islamabad). But that implies that these critics are against the militants. And yet, these same critics seem to agree with the anti-American ideology of the radicals.

Even though many of the terrorists not native Pakistani citizens, and some of them despise and abuse Pakistanis, particularly Arabs, they are still seen as Muslims. They are considered members of the Umma – the universal brotherhood of Islam that transcends national boundaries and command ultimate loyalty under Allah. If Muslims are attacked, even in self-defense, then they must be avenged at all costs. Any attack on the Taliban are now considered attacks on Pakistani sovereignty. There is no call for Muslims to put themselves in the shoes of Americans, imagining whether if they were attacked, might they also retaliate.

But this is good news:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080930/ap_on_re_a /as_pakistan_spy_chief;_ylt=AixX1m2l.Vp3I.np3kZLvW0Bxg8F

Maybe democracy will work. I just don’t know when.

Islam uses a lunar calendar for its religious holidays, rituals, and celebrations. To determine what the day is for a holiday, a committee must be set-up to assess the exact position of the moon, which is of course aided by modern technology. But this is an old tradition, and indeed was one of the things that led the Arabs towards advances in astronomy.

So it was announced last night that today is officially Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan (the month of fasting for Muslims). It’s a quiet, peaceful time, one of family fun. There is also another Eid (al-Adha) that will occur closer to Christmastime. Like Christmas, people get vacation, friends and family gather around and have a big meal, and give gifts or eidhi (money).

Today I’ve had that John Lennon/Yoko Ono song about Christmas running around in my head. These lyrics in particular are relevant:

“Merry, merry Christmas/and a happy new year.  

Let’s hope it’s a good one/without any fear.

War is over/if you want it.”

I pray for a happy, safe Eid today, and real solutions to get us out of the impasse facing Pakistan, America, and the perilous War on Terror in the coming year.